Silver Bullet
by The Symbol of Faith
Summary: Vermouth thinks back to that rainy day in New York, to a time when carrying out the Boss' orders and moving up the ladder had been all she'd thought of. A time when there was no God. A time when she was not under the protection of an Angel's wings. A time where 'Mercy' did not exist…And she had been proven wrong. Meeting Kudo Shinichi had changed everything – forever.
1. Mercy

**AN: This is my first DC work, and I'm not sure how the characters have come out, but I think I've done a pretty good job potraying Vermouth.**

 **My CID readers, I ask for a little more patience. The next chapter of 'A Different Kind of Love' will be posted soon, probably in this week itself.**

 **My Harry Potter readers, I ask for a lot more patience, since i'm currently stumped on how to proceed. But I hope to update soon.**

 **Detective Conan is a Mystery/Romance/Adventure/Crime/Thriller based anime, and for those who have not seen it, I reccomend you try it! Perhaps this story of mine may interest you a bit.**

 **It is taken mostly from Episode 288: Kudo Shinichi's New York Case and Episode 324: Head to head match with the Black Organisation.**

 **PLease let me know how you like the story!**

 **.**

"Dialouges"

' _Thoughts'_

* * *

 **Mercy**

* * *

She'd known that Angel wouldn't move. Despite – _because_ – of the bullets raining down around her, she would not move. She would keep shielding Sherry's shrunken body with her own – because that's just who she _was_.

…

She remembered that night clearly; it had been raining, the wind especially harsh but the only thing that had mattered to her was the pain and the blood and the fact that keeping up the disguise of a serial killer on the run had become progressively difficult. She'd taken up the disguise to lure out FBI Agent Akai Shuichi, but that plan had backfired horribly.

It had been a sudden decision to take cover in an abandoned building, hoping to escape the notice of that traitor – Akai; how she hated his precision with bullets, but entirely expected of the Silver Bullet – when she'd come across him.

Shinichi – Yukiko's son – was nothing quite special at first glance.

He looked a lot like his father and that had been it. Then Yukiko called her after the murder investigation had been over; she'd just been about to leave in disguise; gushing about her son's deduction with pride only a mother could have. Okay, so more like his father than only in looks. But meeting him again in the building had been a surprise – what was he doing here?

She had ran away immediately, the stairs creaking ominously under her feet only to come face to face with the girl – Ran; sweet, innocently naïve Ran who believed in God and a higher power and happy endings. Ran, who was so bright and positive with her staunch belief in the goodness of human heart. The girl was surely an Angel under that flimsy disguise of Human; for who but an Angel could look upon her black heart and still smile at her?

"Run away, Ran!" Shinichi had called down from the top of the stairs, "That's the serial killer!"

But Ran had frozen upon seeing the sparse moonlight glint off the metal she held in her hand. She raised the gun threateningly and attempted to move around her, not truly wanting to cause her any harm, but she wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if she tried to stop her.

"There, now you know who I am, girl," the gruff tone of the man she was impersonating came out perfectly, as she leaned against a hand rail.

The jacket she wore shifted slightly at the movement, revealing a blood soaked area around the bullet wound and Ran's eyes flickered to it before once again turning to rest upon her gun.

"I was able to hide here, until this boy found me." A smirk graced his unshaven face, "well, if you must blame someone, blame the God that set this up for you,"

She made to place the silencer over the muzzle of the gun, when the railing behind her gave away. It was a frightening moment – the sensation of being suspended in air with nothing to support to you, before you inevitably fell. The silencer made a clanking sound upon impact and she expected to follow quickly after, if not for the hand grabbing the sleeve of her jacket.

Ran's face was pinched in pain as she crouched in awkward position to hold on to him with one hand while the other one clamped tightly onto the railing – thankfully intact! – to keep herself from joining her in her journey downwards.

Foolish girl! What did she think she was doing?

"What are you doing?" Ran called down to her when she simply looked at her in shock, "Grab my hand! Quickly!"

Grab her hand? Was this girl actually asking someone she thought to be a serial killer to grab her hand so that he could pull himself up to safety?

"Hurry, the rain is…"

Yes, the rain was making her hand slip and she wouldn't be able to keep hold of her leather jacket for long – and then it would mean a fall from nearly four storeys high that could quite possibly lead to her death.

Ran had quite impressive muscles from her continuous karate training, but she still couldn't be expected to pull a fully grown woman up by herself. The bullet too decided to remind her of its presence at that moment and she slipped from the girl's frantic grasp just a bit more.

 _How dramatic,_ she'd thought to herself. But this was unlike any movie she'd acted in, for the threat of death was so much more real…

A second hand grabbed her then; slightly larger than Ran's, more masculine, stronger – Shinichi's. His hold kept her from falling.

"Damn, you're so troublesome," he grunted in exertion.

It was not meant for Ran, the girl who had impulsively grabbed the falling man, but for her – the serial killer. What he meant by those words and the inflection behind it, she doubted she would ever know.

Fourteen he might be, but he was already a great detective, able to see the truth behind any deception. Had he already known then, that she was Sharon Vineyard; close friend of his mother and a master of disguise? It was possible – she had spoken of God in the exact same way when he'd met her earlier today.

 _Blame the God that set this up…_

She placed the gun between her teeth and caught hold of two railings, swinging slightly to gain a bit of momentum before she pulled off a back flip, their hands letting go of her when they realised what she was about to do, and she landed neatly on the platform.

The two teens sat up, Ran holding on to her friend's shoulders as she hid behind him, the fear and panic having returned now that no one was in danger of falling.

"Why?" She asked them, her gaze concentrated on Shinichi.

Wasn't he a detective? Someone who's very nature called for him to put criminals behind bars? He could have decided to not help, let her fall and take the girl away. No one would know they'd been here when she fell…

"Why did you save me? Why!"

He shifted ever so slightly to shield Ran with his body.

"Is a reason necessary?" he asked, gazing at her with those blue eyes – all knowing, judging, _ruthless,_ eyes that she'd always claimed only Kudo Yusaku had, and now his son too.

She was not the only one to stare at him in shock; Ran's eyes had widened perceptibly at his words.

"I don't know why you would kill someone…" he continued, and now she was sure that Shinichi had recognised her, "But as for helping someone…A logical mind isn't needed, right?"

Yes, he had definitely recognised her, the inflection in his words 'why _you_ would kill' was slightly more personal than it should have been while talking to a murderer.

"I see…"Ran whispered, and her face had relaxed now as if a fear had been finally put to rest.

She didn't see; it did not make any sense to her. She could never have such mercy on anyone.

Behind Shinichi, the girl slumped, fainting in exhaustion.

"Ran!" he turned around in slight panic before gathering her up in his arms, holding her protectively against his chest.

Her arm rose, gun pointed at them; they'd seen too much. _He_ knew too much.

"Don't bother," Shinichi said, knowing her intention without even turning around, "You're injured, which means the police are nearby. If you fire a gun without a silencer, they will find you."

Ah, yes. The silencer had fallen to ground long ago.

"Just the same, I can't do anything to capture you," he turned to fix her with those piercing blue eyes, "I'll let you go for now. But, I won't show mercy next time. I'll prove all your crimes with any evidence necessary. I'll make _sure_ you're put away."

She'd gulped, for the first time feeling fear – fear due to this young boy, because his eyes were not like Yusaku's after all. They had a hint of mercy in it and for that mercy; she will always hesitate to point her gun at him.

…

"Stop, Calvados!"

Her order was unheeded though and she found herself firing at him in order to protect the girl. She turned to see Ran – Angel, for that's who she would always be for her, the only Angel to smile upon her – and Sherry had both fainted in shock. She was both thankful and annoyed; thankful that Angel wouldn't have to see any bloodshed and annoyed that Sherry was now under her protection.

She then faced Jodie, who'd surprisingly moved to the opposite wall and was now not in Calvados's line of sight. But with Conan out due to his own tranquilizer, she was utterly helpless.

Everything after that goes to hell with Akai's reappearance; how she despises that FBI Agent; and she scoops up Conan as her hostage and flees in her car (Dr Araide's car, but who's paying attention to details?). She's been shot again and that too by Akai, but with a hostage, the FBI will not dare to pursue.

In the middle of a deserted field surrounded by woods, she realises how much Shinichi (Or Conan now) is like his mother. Such perfect acting that led her to believe he truly was unconscious, and she realises that it's not the FBI who has won this confrontation and neither is it her.

It is Conan and she has fallen for his trap completely.

"Take me to your Boss," he demands, threatening to send the wave signals that recorded the Boss's e-mail ID to his partner should she not comply.

"Seems like I lost. I'll let Sherry go," she answered, before spraying a sleeping gas inside the car.

"Idiot!" he admonishes, surprised by her course of action, "You'll breathe it in too!"

"Yes, this is a bet! If you wake up first, you can call the police to catch me and give the wave signals to them and find out where the boss lives. But if I wake up first, you know what I'll do…"

…

The odds were in her favour, she knew. She woke up to see him still off in Dream Land. She should kill him, he'd thwarted her twice now. But the memory of that day in London prevented her from pulling the trigger. Besides, she'd already admitted her loss to him; he'd outwitted her completely.

She placed her jacket over him before leaving, blaming the last action on a suddenly surfacing maternal instinct she'd never known she had, upon seeing him looking so utterly vulnerable in his seven year old body.

She made her way to a pay phone to call Gin, giving him an abridged version of the night's happenings, carefully omitting any mention of Conan. It would put him in danger, she knew. Also, if the Organisation came to know what threat he posed, someone else might get a mission to kill him. It would be ideal, not having to deal with him again, but she knew she couldn't.

The mere thought of killing him…it was not mercy, no, her actions were not merciful. She could only call it repentance. Repentance; in hope that her actions would allow her to bask in Angel's presence for some more time.

...

Gin was not pleased to hear about Akai's involvement.

"The Boss said that he," Vermouth paused, her breath laboured due to her broken ribs, "well, that he might turn out to be our Silver Bullet. He is to be feared, that man."

"A Silver Bullet that can destroy us in one hit does not exist," Gin proclaimed with surety.

Vermouth sighed before telling him her location, "Can you come get me?"

"Before I do that, I have a question for you." A pause, "Do you know someone called Kudo Shinichi?"

What?! Where-how-? Her mind was a jumble and she thought she'd been caught trying to willingly protect someone that could be a threat, before hearing the genuine curiosity; naturally, after all, no one, but Kudo Shinichi himself, knew what had transpired between them.

 _Why did you save me…?_

 _Is a reason needed?_

 _No_ , Vermouth smiled, _there is no reason needed for saving someone_. She knew she would never do what he had done, what Angel had done…and that's why she knew that it was him – with his capability to show mercy to even criminals…

The one that can pierce our hearts could prove to be him. He's our long awaited…Silver Bullet.

* * *

 **AN: How was it?**

 **Please give me your honest opinions!**

 **Review!**

 **Detective Conan:** Shinichi Kudou, a great mystery expert at only seventeen, is already well known for having solved several challenging cases. One day, when Shinichi sees two suspicious men and decides to follow them, he inadvertently becomes witness to a disturbing illegal activity. When the men catch Shinichi, they dose him with an experimental drug formulated by their criminal organization and abandon him to die. However, to his own astonishment, Shinichi is still alive and soon wakes up, but now, he has the body of a seven-year-old, perfectly preserving his original intelligence.

He hides his real identity from everyone, including his childhood friend Ran Mouri and her father, private detective Kogorou Mouri, and takes on the alias of Conan Edogawa (inspired by the mystery writers Arthur Conan Doyle and Ranpo Edogawa). Shinichi, as Conan, starts secretly solving the senior Mouri's cases from behind the scenes with his still exceptional sleuthing skills, while covertly investigating the organization responsible for his current state, hoping to reverse the drug's effects someday.


	2. Pride

**AN: This was supposed to be a one-shot, dammit! I've no idea how it spiralled out to be this. I just found myself continuing this one day, so here you go... I will still label this as a completed series, since I'm pretty sure I've got no interest in continuing this further, but you may never know...should it strike my fancy, I may even write another chapter, or perhaps not. Either way, I hope you like it!**

 **This chapter has mostly been taken from Episode 425 - Black Impact! The moment the Black Organisation reaches out.**

 **Enjoy~**

 **.**

"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

* * *

 **Pride**

* * *

It was thoughtless, foolish and reckless.

No, perhaps she should begin from the beginning.

The mission.

It was no different from the usual. The Boss often sent her out along with some other members as a back-up, to clean up any messes, any mistakes should it be made. And she expected this assignment to go how every other one usually did. But really, she should have known better. Any expectations she had, all went down the drain and got sucked up in a whirlpool of confusion and disorder, the moment _he_ was involved.

Silver Bullet-kun.

Vermouth's personal nickname for him, one that she'd made sure none other in the organisation ever came to know of. To them, one Silver Bullet – Akai Shuichi, FBI dog with a generally unpleasant and smug, know-it-all attitude – was enough. He had been a thorn in their side ever since his true alliance had been found out. His code name (Rye) had been revoked to give rise to another, Silver Bullet.

Boss had first come up with the term, in reference to the mythological and popular belief that the only thing known to kill or fatally injure werewolves was silver. A person who could be their down fall, thus, could only be called a Silver Bullet.

Vermouth would be all too glad to see Akai dead, having no fondness for him – not that she held fondness for _anyone_ – and would be quite happy to rid the organisation of their weakness, of their Silver Bullet.

But when it came to Conan… The other Silver Bullet, that only Vermouth was aware of, was actually quite precious to her. The mere thought of seeing his cold, life-less body made her presumably frozen heart throb painfully. No, she could not see him hurt, never-mind dead.

If she had not known that telling him to give up on this case was fruitless, she might have done it. Cunningly, cautiously, she would have urged him stop investigating them. They were far too dangerous for him to poke his nose into. But, not only would that have been an insult to his intelligence but also, her own.

So she protected him the best she could. Silently and from the shadows, she kept an eye on him, making sure he never strayed too far into their line of sight and attracted the attention of the likes of the conniving Gin or trigger-happy Chianti. And if he did, she did some meticulous misdirection, pulled a few careful strings in order to shroud him in the dull, monotonous and uninteresting background of the cheerful lifestyle of Tokyo.

…

"When I give the order, you will pull the trigger," Gin said authoritatively, "Do you understand me, Chianti? Korn?"

Chianti gave a disgruntled assent, Korn remaining as stoic as ever. Vermouth watched in amusement as they stalked off to get into their sniping positions and settled into her seat as she waited for Kir to lead their target, Domon Yasuteru, into the park and to the location that had been agreed upon.

As Gin and Vodka turned their attention to the video from the camera – that was clasped to a brooch on Kir's coat – Vermouth gazed out of the car. It had been barely a passing glance, but it had been enough. Making sure not to give away any indication of what had stolen her attention, she peered out of the corner of her eye.

' _Impossible!_ ' Vermouth couldn't believe it, ' _What is Shinichi doing **here**? And is that…? Yes, it is… Jodie, the FBI kitten,_ ' she narrowed her eyes, ' _What are they doing here? Could it be that he knows somehow?'_

And no matter what excuses she could come up with, there was only one explanation for Conan's presence here, ' _Yes, he does. Somehow, inexplicably, he **knows**. And he's going to try and stop it,'_

She'd no idea how Conan had come to know of their mission. The FBI was one thing, but _Conan_? Because it was undoubtedly him, and not the FBI, who was running the show, that had been proved enough at their last encounter. And wasn't that something? For a seemingly seven year old to have the necessary amount of influence and charm for the FBI to follow his commands…

It was truly surprising, how he never ceased to amaze her. Seeing through her plans – _their_ plans – coming up with one of his own and countering it, all without showing himself, covering any traces that could lead back to Kudo Shinichi or the Mouri family.

 _'Well,'_ Vermouth smirked, ' _let's see how you do it, my dear Silver Bullet. Facing such odds, can you triumph? Surprise me, I am waiting…'_

…

"But, that's strange," Vodka murmured, looking at the video feed, "there's no rain here,"

Moments after he'd spoken, a drop of water fell from the sky. Then another, and another, and another, and another… Soon, it was truly raining.

"It's starting to rain here too!" Vodka exclaimed when a drop fell upon his hand that rested on the car window sill.

 _'A blessed rain,_ ' Vermouth shook her head in amusement, ' _but lucky or not, you have done it again, Cool Guy. To have us retreat from our mission without even revealing your involvement, consider me pleased,'_

"Chianti, Kir, Korn, pull back at once," Gin spoke into the communicating device, "we'll meet at the rendezvous point in one hour,"

 _'Hmm, it's on to Plan B then_ ,' Vermouth hummed, ' _I don't know how you managed to follow us and know about this mission in the first place, my precious Silver Bullet-kun, but can you do it a second time?'_

"Hey, Gin," she called out, "now will you tell me the synopsis to act? In the assassination play?"

Because in spite of Conan's involvement, she would still play her part, making nothing easy for him by doing it half-heartedly. No, she would do her best to follow the Boss's order, and if he still managed to outwit her, then it would truly be his accomplishment – a win he could take pride in.

…

"Come back immediately," Gin commanded, his voice reaching her through her ear piece, "we're changing targets. I've already got the Boss's approval."

Vermouth immediately changed gears and turned the bike around before stopping at the side of the road, "Changing targets?"

She could hear Chianti echoing her surprise over the connected communication device as Gin answered, "Yes,"

"And?" Vermouth asked nonchalantly, a suspicion forming in her mind, "Where's the next target?"

"The place is Beika City's Fifth Street, at Mouri Detective Agency,"

 _'Curses!'_ Vermouth thought in incredulity, _'Why there? What does Gin know? Did he figure out how Cool Guy found out about the mission?'_

Regardless of the turmoil she felt stirring up in her, Vermouth obediently set course for their meeting point and parked aside her bike. Getting back into the rear seat of the car, she questioned Gin.

"But, is it real? What you said about Mouri-tantei sticking a tracker and a mic onto the sole of Kir's shoes?"

"Aa, there's no mistake," Gin said darkly, "According to reports, he was the only person Kir met with before us. On top of that, he spent the night at her place, some silly case or something,"

 _'Really,_ ' Vermouth thought, ' _you have given me nothing to work with, have you, Cool Guy?'_

"But still," Vermouth expressed her doubt, trying to delude Gin even as she knew how fruitless such an endeavour was, "to be suspicious over that…"

"I don't know why he set them up, but it was him that did it," Gin asserted, "If it was set up by someone else days beforehand, there was no way Kir wouldn't have realised it…only a detective like him could have done it…"

"Then it is because of that detective that Kir disappeared?" Vodka questioned,

"Shh! Not so loud," Gin smirked, "the mic is still active,"

"You haven't destroyed it?" Vodka was surprised.

"No, I wrapped it in a cloth and stuck it inside my coat," Gin answered, "that will create some confusion for him. Besides, I want that detective to hear a little something while he's still in this world,"

Gin patted his pocket and Vermouth itched to get her hands on the mic, to _accidently_ destroy it, but she knew that it would be reckless and completely not like her. That would only make Gin suspicious of her and that was not something she needed right now.

…

"He has something in his ear," Korn muttered as he and Chianti aimed their sniper rifles at him from the roof top of the opposite building.

' _And whatever he has in his ear,'_ Vermouth thought irately, ' _is certainly **not** the earpiece to that mic!'_

Gin, however, took it as confirmation of his theory and pulled out the wiretap from his pocket.

"Can you hear me, Mouri Kogoro?" Gin began in a low, dangerous voice, "Don't even move, I have you in my sight. And I would like you to answer a question of mine before I put some ventilation in your back…"

Out of his line of sight, Vermouth watched Mouri-tantei as if one would watch a car crash – with fixed, unblinking attention, almost as if riveted in the scene taking place in front of one's eyes and completely helpless to stop it. Even though she knew that Mouri Kogoro had not heard a word of what Gin had said – that Conan was the one who was listening to Gin's monologue – he seemed to stiffen, as if in response to his words.

"Your relationship with Sherry," Gin continued, "this wiretap and tracker is very similar to the one found on her…you can't just deny it is co-incidence. I'll give you ten seconds, if you feel like answering, raise your left hand into the air,"

 _'Ten seconds?'_ Vermouth narrowed her eyes, _'Well, that's your window frame, Silver Bullet-kun…can you do anything in that time?'_

10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…

Thud!

…1

"Wha-?" Chianti's finger moved away from the trigger at the sudden appearance of a ball, "Soccer ball?"

And indeed, a football had crashed all of a sudden into the windows of Mouri Detective Agency, cracking and damaging the glass beyond repair.

"HEY!" Mouri shouted, looking outside the window, "Who did that?"

From the pavement, a seven year old Edogawa Conan looked up at him.

"I'm sorry! I kicked the ball too hard," Conan apologised contritely – and utterly fake, Vermouth thought in amusement – before smiling cutely at the older detective, "Besides, how's the horse race going? You're listening to it with those earphones right?"

Vermouth was relieved when Mouri's loud cry of despair of having missed the announcement of the winners disproved Gin's theory. However, if she thought Gin was going to be content to leave it at that, she was mistaken.

"Heh, it looks like he had nothing to do with it," Vermouth scoffed elegantly.

Gin twitched, "Kill him…along with the kid,"

Panic seized her at his words even though her face remained carefully blank.

"Gotcha," Chianti grinned, pleased to be able to shoot at someone, even if it wasn't Domon Yasuteru.

"Wait a moment," Vermouth began with perfectly feigned disinterest, trying to stall, to stop him – _Shinichi_ – from getting killed, "he has deep ties with the police. Killing him like this without any conclusive evidence –"

She broke off when Gin abruptly brought up his gun, its muzzle pointing at her forehead.

"You are talking too much, Vermouth," Gin remarked, "Is there something between you and that detective?"

Even with the gun pointed at her, she stayed relaxed; a playful and dangerous expression on her face; showing any weakness now would mean the end for her.

"My, my…if there was," she began suggestively, her aura now threatening, reminding him who the Boss's favourite was, "what would you do?"

A pause where silence enveloped them, Chianti awaiting Gin's orders while he deliberated on the next course of action; but Vermouth already knew that she had won this round. There would be no shooting today…

"Hmph, no matter," Gin chuckled, "whoever set the wiretap was careless and left their fingerprints behind on the chewing gum. We can just research the people around him and figure out who is behind it all…"

 _'No!'_ Vermouth swallowed her alarm, _'Fingerprints?! Getting out of this would be near impossible –'_

Bang!

A bullet zipped through the air and collided perfectly with the listening device held between Gin's fingers. In that decisive moment, Gin had lost any way to track down the owner of the wiretap.

' _Such precision and aim!_ ' Vermouth whipped her head around to see who it was, even though a part of her already knew, _'Could it be…?'_

Gin snatched up Chianti's rifle to peer through the scope, "Akai…Shuichi?!"

Vermouth's eyes widened, _'Of course! The other Silver Bullet!_

As Gin ordered them to retreat, Vermouth couldn't help but think, _'No matter how much I loathe you Akai, more due to your irritating personality than anything else… today, you have my gratitude – for protecting Shinichi… today, you have my gratitude. Come tomorrow, I will go back to hating you again…but today…'_

Convinced that the whole setup was masterfully planned by the FBI, and not Mouri-tantei, Gin's attention was diverted from him and Conan. Their suspicions were, luckily, averted for now. She also carefully led them away from pursuing the matter further; leading Gin to believe that she was somehow interested in Mouri for some inane reason.

…

How thoughtless, foolish and reckless of him.

Did he not know that a single inattentive action of his could lead to great danger? That it could destroy his life, as well as Angel's? She could care less about Mouri Kogoro, foolish man that he was, but he was important to Angel and needed for Silver Bullet-kun's cover.

This time, he was saved; both of them were saved by Akai's involvement and timely intervention. But should anything of this nature happen again…

Regardless of all the danger, though, Vermouth could only feel proud of him. No anxiety, fear or panic – at least, not now that it was all over – only pride.

Pride at his triumph, his skill, his intellect – all far greater than her own, she would admit, as was befitting of the Silver Bullet.

* * *

 **AN: I suppose that now I have written a new chapter, I might as well reply to previous guest reviews...  
**

 **And while I am at it, do consider commenting on this chapter and tell me how you liked it, yes?**

 **.**

 **To silversparkanime - Thanks for reviewing! Thanks for the compliment, I am glad you enjoyed the story :) I pretty much enjoy any episode with Vermouth in it, just because of the added element of mystery in it. :)**

 **.**

 **REVIEW!**


	3. Fear

**AN: Once more, this fic just wrote itself down. It had always meant to be a one-shot. But really, all three chapters can be stand-alones and not necessarily in perfect order. In fact, this one should technically come before the previous ones, but as it is a one-shot, just enjoy it as it is, yeah?**

 **This chapter is mostly taken from Special Episode 1 - The Great Detective Who Shrunk (Chiisaku Natta Meitantei). Lots of original scenes, too.**

 **For those who've not yet watched it, go give it a try! You can use this link if you've not found it anywhere else:** kissanime . ru/Anime/Detective-Conan-Episode-One/Special?id=133129

 **This episode fleshes out the anime and manga beginning with much more detail and shows the Black Organisation's side of things as they investigate Kudo Shinichi's death!**

 **Enjoy~**

 **.**

"Dialogues"

 _'Thoughts'_

* * *

 **Fear**

* * *

Sharon had forgotten how it felt to fear.

The drowning, crushing hopelessness of the feeling, a gripping sensation that refused to let go as it dragged you to the depths of an unending abyss. The futility of your tries as it all ended in vain.

Fear had always equalled failure and for a member of the organisation, failure meant death.

Perhaps, a long time ago, when her life had not been built on lies and shrouded in dark shadows, Sharon might have known fear. The feeble fear that all individuals felt; the fear of darkness, the fear of solitude, the fear of physical injury, the fear of tiny harmless insects, the fear of loss, the fear of death. Growing out of those childish fears, she'd embraced adulthood and accepted a whole new set of fears then. But even those had become redundant after joining _Them_.

Within the syndicate, if Sharon – now Vermouth – wanted to survive, she would have to give up her anxieties. If she wanted to be more than a new recruit, more than a random member for small jobs, if she wanted to be respected, she'd have to portray herself accordingly. She had begun it with an act, a perfect mask that allowed no cracks to show, but as the years went by it became a reality.

Truly, Vermouth was a fearless woman.

New York had changed that, and changed that irrevocably.

...

While Sharon had certainly cared for quite a few individuals – Yukiko had been a wonderful friend in the true sense of the word and Toichi-sensei would never be forgotten – had she have gotten an order to kill them, she would have done it with little to no hesitation. They were friends, yes, but certainly not worth losing her position in the organisation. Not worth putting her _own_ life in danger to keep them safe.

Vermouth never cared either way – in this world where everything was true for a fleeting moment of reality, her un-aging presence overshadowed their ephemeral lives. Where with each passing day, everyone's bodies were slowly killing themselves, moving towards inevitable death, hers only thrummed with life, cells multiplying at an unpredictable speed and precision that kept her mortal shell alive and appearing ageless. Why prolong lives that were bound to end one day, either way? Hers was more important, _always_.

That was what she'd thought.

Meeting Kudo Shinichi had changed everything – forever.

...

"Yeah, I'm on my way now," Sharon (though now she went by Chris) Vineyard said into her earphone, "to the location scene of the drama. After I finish shooting this, it should be done, and I'll be able to go there to make sure Pisco doesn't mess up."

"Good," Gin replied, "Remember to be on time."

"Of course," Vermouth grinned, swerving the steering wheel to take a right, edging out of another car's way as it honked. She gave a glance at her phone, which was opened to an online web page showing a section of a Japanese newspaper, "I might as well stay there for a while too; I have something to do at that place."

"Whatever," Gin dismissed, "As long as it does not interfere with our plans, I don't care."

Vermouth let out a small laugh as Gin scoffed, her gaze focusing on the picture of a young teen as it flashed in the light of the phone screen _, 'I want to meet him too…it has been long, Shinichi. Nearly three years, I wonder…how has life as a famous detective been suiting you?'_

Talking to him face to face would be impossible, not if she wanted to keep their attention away from him. The news of Vermouth meeting up with a young and obviously genius detective might make their way to them and put him in danger, and that she wanted to avoid at all costs. And while meeting him in a disguise would be possible, she did not wish to do so. It would be too fake…Perhaps, she could take a glance from afar? Just to see how he was doing, of course…Him and Angel, the two most precious treasures of her life.

"Well, Japan," she murmured, a small smile curling up her lips, "Here I come."

Then, all traces of mirth disappeared. From the reflective side view mirror, a blond haired, bespectacled face swam into view.

"Ara, I'm going to hang up now," Vermouth said, smirking in anticipation as she sensed a car chase coming her way, "An FBI kitten is on my tail. Let's meet there…Gin."

Clicking a button, she pulled off her earphone, depositing it in a hold near the gear handle. She'd need all her concentration to out-pace that FBI woman, they were both evenly matched when it came to driving skills, but she did have experience on her. Besides, riding and racing with Yukiko meant practically nothing could surprise her any longer.

Cutting lanes, overtaking cars, Sharon manoeuvred her car with expertise. Switching between lanes, light turns of the steering wheel, slowly but gradually accelerating, she pulled ahead of Jodie Starling. A few cars, apprehensive of her reckless driving, edged away in fear – she nearly laughed, this was exhilarating! Through it all, Jodie kept her pursuit, following with her own daring swerves and changing speeds.

Vermouth grinned sharply as she took a sharp right turn, briefly leaving Jodie's sight, she entered another busy road. Jodie was not far behind her and Vermouth briefly entertained the idea of going for a long drive; this was a sports car she was driving after all, she should take advantage of the opportunity; when she remembered she had to make her way to the set. And the earlier she finished her work, the faster she could leave.

 _'Well, sorry, my dear kitten_ ,' Vermouth smirked, _'but I have other priorities. Let's play another time.'_

A crossroad approached them, the signal wavered, blinking between orange and red, and Vermouth put on a last burst of speed as she cut into another car's way. The signal turned red, but she was gone, leaving Jodie behind, constrained by traffic rules.

...

Unfortunately, work proved troublesome. The director was unsatisfied with a few scenes and demanded a retake. Her co-actors were amateurs and had fumbled up quite a few scenes, leaving the veteran quite dissatisfied. Sharon had to regretfully stay back for more than two whole months before she was able to arrive in Japan.

"You're late," Gin said as she entered their one of their temporary bases, "Pisco has already planned most of the assassination and the wake is scheduled for next week."

"Ara," Vermouth huffed in amusement, "Are you not happy with his arrangements? Worry not, I shall go over the plan with him soon enough. Besides, what is this I hear through the grape-wine? Sherry escaped?"

Gin scowled at that, "That insufferable woman! She's managed to hide for now, but I'll dig her out anyway, whether she's underground or above!"

Vermouth chortled; Sherry was one of the very few members that could leave Gin in such a tiff. She was someone who couldn't be controlled by him, caring for nothing but her work and her sister.

"The Boss wants me to take a look into it if you fail," Vermouth disclosed, "and if that happens," she smirked at Gin's glower at the insinuation of his failure, "do not get in my way of doing things, yes?"

Gin narrowed his eyes but gave his assent; Vermouth was the Boss's favoured for a reason and her plans might be long winded that came to fruition only after a lot of waiting, but no one could deny that she did succeed. Vermouth tossed her hair back in satisfaction and made her leave.

"I'm off," she called behind her back, "It's been a while since I've stepped foot in Japan, I think I'll go sight-seeing."

At Gin's answering scoff, Vermouth supressed her laughter. No, she wasn't going sight-seeing, even if Gin did believe that. He seemed to believe it all to be part of her cover as Chris Vineyard's Japan tour, but that was only partially true. If there was something, someone, she wanted to see…it was him. Kudo Shinichi.

...

Curtained covered glass panes. Dusty iron gates. Leaf strewn front yard. Overgrown lawn grass. An oddly foreboding feeling emanated from the Kudo house.

Vermouth swallowed in apprehension. But loitering in front of the place was foolish and so she retreated.

Simply disguised as a morning jogger, she'd come to see the house Shinichi lived in, wondering if she might run into him somewhere on the way. However, it seemed that he hadn't even been in his house since weeks! Something was off.

 _'I haven't checked the Japanese news in a while,'_ Sharon thought as she made her way to a news stand. Thankfully, the shops here opened almost immediately after daybreak, ' _Perhaps there's some notice there…has he left Japan? But school is still in session, that's absurd…'_

The newspaper yielded nothing and Sharon decided this was foolish. Pulling out her phone, she ran a search for Kudo Shinichi. All articles were months old. _Months_. Nothing recent.

Sharon's lips curled up in a snarl, "Dammit! What's with his sudden disappearance?"

But as much as she wanted to check this out, she couldn't do so openly. She began small. Angel was her first priority; however there wasn't much she could glean from her. She seemed low in spirits, forlorn, as if desperately waiting for some – one. _Waiting for someone?_

She picked up snippets from different sources; his schoolmates, the gossiping police officers, random fans… Floating rumors gave the fact solidity – Kudo Shinichi had suddenly disappeared. Without a trace.

And if there was one thing Vermouth was sure of, it was this – Unexplained, sudden, or mysterious disappearances were a speciality of the organisation. And no matter what excuses Vermouth would like to give, she knew that Shinichi's brilliant mind would have caught their attention soon enough. All it would take was one excuse, one inadvertent peek into their business on Shinichi's part and they'd eliminate him; no hesitation. He would be considered a threat and threats needed to be taken out.

For the first time in so long, Vermouth could feel fear creep up on her. And even more surprisingly, it was fear for another's life, not her own. Because if the organisation had been on Shinichi's tail…

She was sure that was what had happened. Nearly sure…but, it wouldn't harm to check, would it?

...

Enter Password: _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Vermouth paused, taking a furtive look around her work station. She was currently in one of the labs of the organisation – not the one that had been blown up after Sherry escaped, the one she used to work in – but it still held all the data needed.

Assured that she truly was alone, she typed in the password to access the file, the APTX death record file. Her search for Shinichi's name in the other files had yielded no results and Vermouth had a flicker of hope. This was the last file she had to check. Though, if Shinichi's name wasn't found here, she didn't know where he could be…

Such a conundrum; to hope to find his name, so that she could be certain of his death, and at the same to wish it wasn't there but be unsure of the cause of his disappearance.

Typing decisively on the keyboard, she ran a check for his name. One second, then two, then three…the pages scrolled down, names highlighting for a brief moment when they came across familiar kanji, but none held the unique combination that made up Shinichi's name. Just when Sharon had thought that Shinichi might still be alive, somewhere, somehow – the blinking cursor settled. The name stood out, highlighted in a blue background…

Name: Kudo Shinichi – – – Status: Dead

"No!" Vermouth uttered in shock, "No, no, no! How? How could this be…?"

Composing herself hurriedly, she exited the file and turned off the desktop. She needed to get out of here, out of this place. She could feel it, behind her perfectly calm façade; she could feel her grief, her sorrow build up and threaten to break her down. But she wouldn't, not here.

Sharon Vineyard was a strong woman; the death of one measly detective shouldn't affect her so. But it _did_.

She'd hoped Shinichi would live a long a happy life, interspersed with danger as it would be, being a detective; but no matter what kind of life he led, she did not want it to be entangled with the organisation. Her hopes had been in vain though, it seemed, for he'd died opposing them – opposing crime. It was also Shinichi's preferred way of leaving the world; for justice and while seeking the truth.

How could she ever berate him for that?

How utterly foolish of him though, to not take the organisation seriously! If he'd wanted to expose their crimes, he should have been more careful, more cautious. Taken heed not to have been found out...and… _killed_ …

Her heart thumped painfully within her chest and she wished it would stop. She wished it wouldn't hurt. She was supposed to be untouchable, invincible, fearless…for one death to affect her so…

"Vermouth."

"What?" she breathed out harshly, turning to look at the one who'd addressed her, "Oh, Pisco. Yes, what is it?"

Pisco raised a brow in confusion at the anger in her tone, "The wake's tomorrow. Shall we be arriving together? Or would you prefer we meet up at the venue to confirm the plan?"

"The latter," Vermouth ordered, "Best not to seem acquainted. If that is all, I shall be leaving."

Not waiting for an answer, Vermouth stormed off. She drove carefully, even though her thoughts were tumultuous.

 _'Death…how final it is,'_ Vermouth sighed, ' _I cannot find it in myself to mourn for his death. He is now undoubtedly in a better place, but I mourn for the life he could have lived…and I mourn for Angel who waits patiently for him to return…Or does she? Does she know that he is dead? Or is she truly waiting a pointless wait?_ ' Sharon closed her eyes momentarily and leaned against her headrest as the signal turned red, ' _Perhaps it is fitting, indeed, that tomorrow is the wake. My act of grief shall be more than just an act now…'_

 _..._

"Of course," Sharon nodded, "it would have been better to meet under different circumstances, but…"

"I agree. But it is good to see you again, nevertheless, Chris. Tell me…"

Random, meaningless, small talk. Sharon hated small talk, but unfortunately, it was necessary. She smoothed out her black dress as she excused herself, needing to go away for some fresh air before the assassination took place.

She previously had plans in Japan, most of which involved meeting Shinichi once again, but now that it was not to be, it would be best to leave the country immediately. If Gin failed to find and kill Sherry, she might have to stick around, but she hoped that would not be the case. She no longer wished to stay in this country more than necessary –

"Let's go, Hana-chan!"

 _'What?'_ Sharon whipped her head around in surprise, _'That's a kid's voice! What's a child doing here?'_

Truly, that was not something to be alarmed about. The child may belong to one of the guests, but something made her look for the source of that voice. Perhaps it was because bringing a young child to a wake was surprising, or perhaps something in those words struck her as odd, or perhaps it was simply the voice that called out to her…

A young boy of about six or seven years, black hair and huge glasses perched upon his nose was leading a girl of similar age by her hand behind him. The girl had reddish brown hair but not much could be seen of her, hidden as she was behind the boy.

Sharon's breath stopped for one significant second.

 _'My, my, Shinichi,'_ Sharon smirked, ' _you always manage to surprise me, don't you? Looks like even the untraceable poison failed to kill you. I should have known…so stubborn; only you would find a way to pursue us even after getting poisoned.'_

Her realisation wouldn't have been so swift had she not had an idea about the APTX's side-effect, acquainted as she had been with the Miyano couple. And having seen countless photos of Shinichi from his childhood days, courtesy of Yukiko, putting the pieces together was easy.

 _'At least, Angel has a reason to hold on to hope now –_ ' Vermouth's eyes widened, ' _Wait! Is that…? Sherry! What in the world? She took the poison too? I seem to be missing certain pieces here…'_

Sharon turned away then, her relief at finding Shinichi safe (relatively safe, investigating the syndicate was not really safe in any manner) overshadowed her surprise at finding Sherry with Shinichi. Did he know…what was she thinking? Of course he knew who Sherry was! Yet, to take in a former criminal…

"Ha," Sharon scoffed, "I'm afraid your protection won't stop us from ending her life, Shinichi. Gin may not find her, but I already know who she is now, where she will be too. And not even you will be able to stop me from taking out the traitor."

...

"Gin," Vermouth's eyes narrowed at the wound on his arm, "Why is your arm injured?"

"Sherry." Gin grunted out.

 _'What?'_ Vermouth blinked, _'That's impossible! Sherry is currently shrunken!'_

"She's not working alone, apparently," Gin continued, "she's got someone on her side. A man, in fact," Gin narrowed his eyes at the thought, Sherry accepting anyone's help sounded ridiculous to him, "But tonight's encounter should scare her off. She'll be making to leave the country soon; we should keep an eye out on –"

"No," Vermouth interrupted, even as she inwardly wondered how Sherry could have returned to her grown form temporarily. And the man in question was definitely Shinichi; though he did manage to give off an impression that he was older than his true age, keeping both his and Sherry's cover safe for now. "Sherry might want to leave the country, but do remember, she's not alone." Shinichi would forbid that, not when the best cover they had was to simply stay in place and act out their lives as grade school students.

Gin let out an impatient noise, "What are you saying –? Oh, I see," he muttered in realisation, "I shall –"

"Oh no, Gin," Vermouth sneered, " _You_ shan't do anything. You've had your chance and you failed. I'll be the one to bring Sherry in now."

Sharon couldn't afford Gin to find out, find out the secret behind the APTX. Keeping him as far away from the case would ensure his ignorance; plus, she did not want him anywhere near Shinichi.

"Vermouth –!"

"Er…Aniki," Vodka spoke up then, trying to diffuse the tension, "we should get that arm bandaged."

"Ara, I forgot nearly," Vermouth grinned, "do tell me, how did you get injured?"

Gin kept his silence, but Vodka answered readily enough, much to the ire of his partner, "That man who was helping Sherry, he tried to tranquilize Aniki."

"So you shot yourself to keep awake?" Vermouth guessed, "Impressive." She got into her vehicle, ready to drive off now that her job was done, "Where's Pisco, by the way? The police released all of us already,"

"Dead." Gin replied curtly.

Vermouth tipped her head in acknowledgment. There was nothing more to say after that; if Gin had killed Pisco, he had a reason. Vermouth did not care to find out more than that anyway.

...

"Aha," Sharon smiled satisfactorily, "I have you now, Sherry. Haibara Ai, is it? Hmm, you'll need further monitoring. Plus, I need to give off an impression to Gin and those snooping FBI agents that I'm doing _some_ work to find you, don't I? Can't have them knowing that all it took was leafing through the files of the student register of Teitan Primary School, can I?"

That would require a disguise though. Chris Vineyard couldn't go about investigating a case, so, who should she play as? She idly turned another page before stopping.

"Ha!" Sharon shook her head in amusement, "Edogawa Conan? What a name! But, it fits you perfectly, ne, Cool Guy?"

Well then, it was decided. Her disguise would have to be someone important, someone with enough respect in society and most importantly, someone whom Conan had interacted with before. She _had_ come to Japan to meet Shinichi, after all.

"You need someone to keep an eye on you, Cool Guy," Sharon muttered as she stealthily left the school grounds, none the wiser of her break in, "With all the trouble you get into; now, especially in that tiny body of yours, the danger level of this game has upped."

She ignited her motorcycle, adjusting helmet before speeding down the road, "Keep yourself safe, stay alive; I don't like fearing your death. Fear is weakness, Shinichi. And I dislike feeling weak. So…make sure you do not scare me again."

* * *

 **AN: So? How was it? Hope Vermouth stayed in character...Fear was difficult to write, but I found myself wanting to do so, and this is the result :)**

 **Hopefully, it came out well. Any criticisms appreciated. Do give me your opinion, they matter!**

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 **To winx club - Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you love my stories :) It just makes the whole deal more sweeter, knowing that your reader enjoys what you write!**

 **To Rockster - Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, Vermouth's character is really complex and her role is seriously difficult to understand! And your review just gave me an idea! For The Kir arc, I could actually show Lady Luck helping out Conan there :D Boubon's episodes will take a while before coming out, though I'm still not sure if I want to make this a multi-chapter fic. I'm pretty comfortable with writing these short one-shots for now, so probably I won't have a new chapter, or probably I will...difficult to say. I can't usually write Vermouth without going off character unless inspiration strikes me( for which I think I still do go off character a bit :P), so continuing this fic a big "maybe". But, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And that you keep reading my stories :)**

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 **A** **ll of you silent readers out there - I hope you are liking this story. If you are (and if not) do please let me know by reviewing! It does not take much time and highly encourages me to write faster! But, thank you all the same :)**

 **So...**

 **REVIEW!**


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